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SNC-Lavalin awarded contract for fertilizer plant in South Africa

MONTREAL, March 8, 2010 /CNW Telbec/ - SNC-Lavalin is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract by Sasol Nitro to provide engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for a new 400,000 Mtpy calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) production plant in an existing chemical complex in Secunda, South Africa.

SNC-Lavalin's involvement with this project started in 2008 with a conceptual study, followed by the basic engineering in 2009, and finally this EPCM contract. The plant is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

"This contract is a significant achievement for our Fertilizer Division, and for the presence of SNC-Lavalin in Southern Africa," said Georges Sontag, Vice-President, Operations, Industrial Processes and Power, SNC-Lavalin Europe.

CAN is a specific concentrated fertilizer that is delivered in solid granules. It is formed by mixing pure melted ammonium nitrate with an appropriate dolomite and then granulated. The granulation will take place in a fluidized bed granulator designed by SNC-Lavalin's Fertilizer Division in Brussels.

"The technology we will be using on this project yields a high-quality product and achieves energy-efficient operations," said Jean Claude Pingat, Executive Vice-President SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. "'Sasol selected SNC-Lavalin after a thorough investigation of the proposed technology and its successful application on other projects."

The total project cost is approximately CA$96 million.

SNC-Lavalin (TSX:SNC) is one of the leading engineering and construction groups in the world and a major player in the ownership of infrastructure, and in the provision of operations and maintenance services. SNC-Lavalin has offices across Canada and in over 35 other countries around the world, and is currently working in some 100 countries. www.snclavalin.com